It's not a matter of Michkov not wanting to play in the NHL, its whether he will be allowed to.
- jd250

Try to think like a rational person. Mexicans easily get here with no money. Why do you think michkov couldn’t easily get here with millions and millions of dollars? This isn’t 1980 where you have to sneak out under cloak of darkness to defect.

Philly is fine with michkov developing in Russia for a year or 2 or 3. Logically why wouldn’t they be. They aren’t paying salary and going into big 2nd deal.

When time is right they will get him here.

Try to think like a rational person. Mexicans easily get here with no money. Why do you think michkov couldn’t easily get here with millions and millions of dollars? This isn’t 1980 where you have to sneak out under cloak of darkness to defect.

Philly is fine with michkov developing in Russia for a year or 2 or 3. Logically why wouldn’t they be. They aren’t paying salary and going into big 2nd deal.

When time is right they will get him here.
- SMS4016

Its amazing the Russians "allowed" him to meet twice with the Flyers in Voorhees and in Nashville.

Money cures all.

The reason people like the Rotenbergs can avoid the worst effect of sanctions is because how easy it has become, over the past 20-30 years, to disguise true ownership of any company/shares behind "shell entities". You can register the HQ of a company in a low tax haven (Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Monaco, Cyprus, and to a lesser extent, Poland and Ireland, are the biggest culprits). You can then have company A be owned by company B which is owned by company C etc etc etc scattered all over the world.

The scale of the way this system is rigged was exposed in the Panama papers.

Looking at next year how much cap space will the Flyers have? Will it be enough to sign a few more grizzled veterans to help the young pups along?

I’m a little concerned there isn’t enough veteran leadership.

Its amazing the Russians "allowed" him to meet twice with the Flyers in Voorhees and in Nashville.
- MBFlyerfan

Right… it’s also crazy he wasn’t thrown in the dungeons upon returning

The reason people like the Rotenbergs can avoid the worst effect of sanctions is because how easy it has become, over the past 20-30 years, to disguise true ownership of any company/shares behind "shell entities". You can register the HQ of a company in a low tax haven (Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Monaco, Cyprus, and to a lesser extent, Poland and Ireland, are the biggest culprits). You can then have company A be owned by company B which is owned by company C etc etc etc scattered all over the world.

The scale of the way this system is rigged was exposed in the Panama papers.
- PT21

Nah. That’s just good world economic business

Try to think like a rational person. Mexicans easily get here with no money. Why do you think michkov couldn’t easily get here with millions and millions of dollars? This isn’t 1980 where you have to sneak out under cloak of darkness to defect.

Philly is fine with michkov developing in Russia for a year or 2 or 3. Logically why wouldn’t they be. They aren’t paying salary and going into big 2nd deal.

When time is right they will get him here.
- SMS4016

Michkov’s development as said is “idiot proof”. The Flyers can’t screw him up as he develops in Russia. It is only a matter of getting him here. From my understanding, it’s not impossible the Flyers may be able to buyout his contract.

Edit

Okay I just finished the blog. The Flyers aren’t breaking that contract.

Bill thank you as always for providing another great article!!
Picking Michkov was a risk based on all of the factors you stated. Especially since reading the story about his father’s death. As a Flyers fan I would have picked Leonard to stay away from all of this uncertainty.

I already have enough gray hair and frustration with this team but I guess WC Fields said “ no such thing as bad press” the Flyers get to stay in the new with the Michkov pick.
I’ll still be hoping it works out!

Looking at next year how much cap space will the Flyers have? Will it be enough to sign a few more grizzled veterans to help the young pups along?

I’m a little concerned there isn’t enough veteran leadership.
- StepfordSam

Hopefully the Flyers can talk Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau into signing a 1-2 year contract

You think Russia hates the Flyers because Rocky beat Drago...
- cdearth23

I must break you

We should have just picked Leonard and waited for Michkov to slip to the second round like we were told would happen.

We should have just picked Leonard and waited for Michkov to slip to the second round like we were told would happen.
- MBFlyerfan

Well at least we keeping TDA around for one more year

Hope Michkov gets his military service in prior to him fulfilling his KHL contract, otherwise what is holding Russia back from drafting him back in after signing his ELC with the Flyers...

Well at least we keeping TDA around for one more year
- Bayareaflyer

Did that fall through? Wikipedia already lists him as being on the Hurricanes again. But I have seen nothing else.

Did that fall through? Wikipedia already lists him as being on the Hurricanes again. But I have seen nothing else.
- MBFlyerfan

Hopefully Briere asked for our 2nd round pick back to lesson the embarrassment

Nah. That’s just good world economic business
- SMS4016

If it was good (in the sense of being good for all of us), there would be no reason to hide it...

Pretty odd that Quick got his name on the cup and Patrick didn’t, he more than doubled his games

Pretty odd that Quick got his name on the cup and Patrick didn’t, he more than doubled his games
- ClaudeFather

Nopa did not play enough regular season games nor did he play in the playoffs.

Quick was at least active for the playoffs and was back up for the last 2 rounds.

Pretty odd that Quick got his name on the cup and Patrick didn’t, he more than doubled his games
- ClaudeFather

same for me as my name is not on the cup and I played the same amount of games as Patrick did last season

Pretty odd that Quick got his name on the cup and Patrick didn’t, he more than doubled his games
- ClaudeFather

I kind of feel bad for that kid.

1)He has to pay his own way. Get his own Hotel. Pay for his own food. (cant even eat the food provided at the rink) Pay for his own transportation to get around why he was here.
2)He just returned from Europe after playing in the World Championships.
3)Team USA World junior camp starts soon.
4)College starts back up in September with training camp for his college team.
5)He needed a break. His agent flat out said so.

Briere's answer made a huge deal out of nothing. It was a mistake on his part.
- MBFlyerfan

Everything you said here is pure speculation and assumption, nothing has been confirmed. Bottom line is 19-20 year old players can never play enough hockey. Also the money is not an issue at all, most of the time vets pick up the tab or help out the younger players in this regard. He should have been at the development camp and the fact that he wasn't and the Flyers nor Gauthier has definitively stated anything about it is concerning.

Try to think like a rational person. Mexicans easily get here with no money. Why do you think michkov couldn’t easily get here with millions and millions of dollars? This isn’t 1980 where you have to sneak out under cloak of darkness to defect.

Philly is fine with michkov developing in Russia for a year or 2 or 3. Logically why wouldn’t they be. They aren’t paying salary and going into big 2nd deal.

When time is right they will get him here.
- SMS4016

Ok, here is a rational retort. People coming over the Mexican border are coming here because their own governments are incentivizing them to do so. In the case of Michkov, and other "top" Russian players, it's an entirely different situation. Russia is essentially at war with the United States and most of Europe, and as it pertains to hockey, written and unwritten rules and prior negotiations are being ignored. Russia has ZERO incentive to allow Michkov to play in the NHL, and on top of that, there is speculation that this may have been the reason Michkov's dad was murdered.

Nopa did not play enough regular season games nor did he play in the playoffs.

Quick was at least active for the playoffs and was back up for the last 2 rounds.
- WhiskeyMan

What’s the threshold? Quick didn’t touch the ice.

I kind of feel bad for that kid.
- Sinisalo4vr

Absolutely